


Turn Around, Bright Eyes

by Jacie



Category: NCIS
Genre: Cabins, Christmas, Christmas Cookies, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Country Inn, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Fishing, Friendship/Love, Holidays, M/M, NCIS Secret Santa, Snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:40:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28122513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jacie/pseuds/Jacie
Summary: Jackson Gibbs realizes that Tony has no plans for Christmas and insists that he joins up with Jethro and Jackson on their planned holiday trip. Gibbs and Tony find something they didn’t know they were looking for.
Relationships: Anthony DiNozzo/Jethro Gibbs
Comments: 14
Kudos: 136
Collections: 2020 NCIS Secret Santa Gift Exchange, Jacie's NCIS Secret Santa (SeSa) stories





	Turn Around, Bright Eyes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [geminiangel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/geminiangel/gifts).



> This was written as a back up for the challenge. 
> 
> Many thanks to Rose_Malmaison for doing the beta work on this one! Any remaining mistakes are all my own.

On Christmas Eve, Jackson Gibbs made his way around the NCIS bullpen offering Christmas cookies to his son’s team. He’d visited Abby earlier, and listened to her outline her trip back to New Orleans to visit her brother. Down in autopsy, Ducky divulged that been invited to share Christmas dinner with Jimmy and Breena at their home. When Jackson stopped by Ziva’s desk, he learned she was going skiing with her boyfriend for the holidays. Tim was traveling to Florida with his sister to visit their mother, as their father was currently deployed in the Atlantic. 

Leaning on his cane and holding out the cookie tin, he asked, “What about you, Tony? What are your holiday plans?”

Tony flashed his brilliant smile as he grabbed a cookie and took a bite. “Cookie eating!”

“Who are you spending Christmas day with? Are you visiting your father?”

“Senior? I think he’s in Europe.”

A frown tugged at Jackson’s mouth. “Oh. I’m sorry, Tony. Holidays are for family. He should have made time for you. These things are important.”

“No worries. I have a tree and a fish. And a nice bottle of wine.”

“Hmmm. Doesn’t sound very Christmassy to me.”

As Gibbs came down the staircase, he dismissed his team and grabbed his father’s arm. “I warned you about making my team fat.”

Tony reached into the tin for another handful of cookies before heading toward the elevator. “Thank you, Jackson, Merry Christmas to you.”

“You, too, Bubblebutt!” Gibbs called after him.

By the time Gibbs was shutting down his computer, Tony, Ziva and Tim had disappeared into the elevator. “You shouldn’t be so hard on him,” said Jackson.

“Hard on who?”

“Tony. Did you know he’s spending Christmas alone? Can you imagine?”

“Yeah, Dad. I’ve done it plenty of times. Gives me some quiet time by myself to spend reading by the fireplace.”

“Tony isn’t you. He might be hiding behind a smile, but I can see the hurt in his eyes,” said Jackson. “You know what I’m thinking?”

“Ah, Dad. Save it. We need to get on the road before the traffic gets too bad. The snow is really starting to come down.”

As the elevator dropped to a lower floor, Jackson said, “We can’t let him be alone. We’re taking him with us and I won’t take no for an answer.”

“Dad, come on. He isn’t packed and he probably rather be alone anyway.”

“You know where he lives. Right?”

“Well, yeah,” Gibbs replied.

“Take me there, and I will convince him to come with us. He shouldn’t be alone for the holidays, Son. And neither should you. I won’t be around forever.”

S*E*S*A ~ S*E*S*A ~ S*E*S*A 

Gibbs knew there was no talking his father out of inviting Tony to join them for their Christmas celebration. After pulling into the parking lot behind Tony’s apartment building, Gibbs shifted his truck into park and sat there for a minute.

Jackson stepped out of the vehicle, tapped his cane against the truck’s window as he looked at his son. “Well, come on.”

“It’s your idea, Dad. You go invite him if you want to.”

“Why do you always have to be so difficult? You know where his apartment is. Come on and show me. Let’s go. Time is wasting,” he said as he began walking away.

After shaking his head and sighing, Gibbs jumped out of the truck and jogged to catch up. Once inside the building, Gibbs walked ahead and summoned the elevator. When they reached Tony’s floor, Gibbs was the one who rapped on Tony’s door and called out his name.

Barely cracking the door open, Tony nearly whispered, “Boss? We catch a case?”

“Open the door, DiNozzo. My father wants a few words with you.”

“Oh. I’m not really dressed for company,” said Tony.

“DiNozzo! Open the door! We don’t really care if you’re naked.”

Tony unlatched the chain and opened the door, revealing he was wearing a T-shirt, boxers and socks. “I wasn’t expecting any visitors.”

Jackson smiled when he saw Tony’s tree, all decorated and lit up. “It looks good. Very cheery.”

“Thanks. Can I get you some wine or hot chocolate? Sorry to say, I’m out of coffee at the moment.”

“No, we have to get on the road,” said Jackson. “And we’re taking you with us, so go pack enough clothes for a few days.”

“Taking me with you? Where?”

“Don’t you mind about where. Just get your stuff together. We have to get out of here,” insisted Jackson, as he tapped Tony’s hip with his cane. “Go on, now. Get packed. And we’re not taking no for an answer.”

“Okay,” said Tony. By the time he went to his bedroom, he found Gibbs had already pulled out his suitcases and had started packing up some clothes for him.

Gibbs didn’t even look up at him. “Grab your bathroom stuff. Nothing fancy. We’re going to a country inn.” 

Minutes later, Gibbs and Tony each had a bag in hand as they returned to Tony’s living room. He unplugged the tree lights, fed his goldfish, then called his neighbor asking if her daughter would mind feeding his fish for a few days. Just before they left, he grabbed two wrapped gifts from under the tree and shoved them into one of his suitcases. 

By the time they reached the truck, the snow was starting to come down even harder. Gibbs loaded Tony’s luggage into the back of the truck and covered it up with the tarp. He practically shoved Tony into the middle of the cab, while Jackson got in from the passenger side.

“We can still make it long before midnight,” said Jackson.

Gibbs stopped off at the diner, buying coffee for Jackson and himself and a cup of hot chocolate for Tony. The temperature was already dropping, but the traffic was light enough that they made good time.

While Tony and Jackson nodded off periodically, Gibbs stayed wide awake and kept the truck on the road, watching the snow piling up more with every mile he drove.

S*E*S*A ~ S*E*S*A ~ S*E*S*A 

After parking outside the inn, Gibbs woke the other two up. The temperature had dropped significantly as the snow continued coming down. Pulling back the tarp, Gibbs grabbed the luggage, handing Tony’s two bags to him, a smaller bag with a strap to his father, and he grabbed the rest himself.

The inn itself was old and had several additions to the original building. It was light-colored and cheerily adorned with a myriad of lights and wreaths, with a life-sized Santa, sleigh and reindeer in front of the building and a large nativity scene on the large wrap-around porch.

“I guess we missed the carolers,” Jackson said, glancing at his watch. 

“I still hear music,” noted Tony. As he opened the front door to the inn, the holiday music and singing filled the air. 

Standing in the lobby before a massive Christmas tree, they could see inside the parlor, which had several jovial people sitting around imbibing in their favorite beverages as they sang along with a piano player. An older man noticed them and came over to greet them. 

He made a beeline to Jackson and shook his hand. “Look at you! You got old!”

Jackson smiled. “Have you looked in a mirror lately? Jake, you remember my son, Jethro?”

“Of course,” the man replied as he reached to shake Gibbs’ hand. 

Waving toward Tony, Jackson added, “And this is his friend, Tony DiNozzo.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” said Tony.

“Jake and I served together as pilots back in the war.”

Shaking his head, Jake said, “It’s Christmas Eve. No time to be talking about war stories. Get checked in then come on down and we’ll share a few beers and sing a few songs.” Looking over to Tony and Gibbs, he added, “We have hot chocolate, mulled cider, hot toddies and eggnog, with or without rum if you prefer.”

Gibbs nodded to his father. “You go on with Jake. Tony and I will check in and take your bags up to your room.”

They watched as Jackson disappeared into the parlor. A few moments later, a lean teenaged boy emerged carrying Jackson’s coat. “Grandpa sent me to help you with your stuff,” he said.

“Thanks, Cory. You’ve sure grown since I’ve seen you.”

Cory brushed his brown hair out of his eyes. “You haven’t been here for a couple of years. I’m on the school basketball team now.”

Gibbs pointed toward Tony with his thumb, “He played basketball in college. Did pretty well. Too bad the courts are snowed over or maybe you could teach him a thing or two.”

Cory smiled and led them to the counter, where he rang the service bell about ten times. A pretty woman, who looked to be in her fifties, emerged from the back office, shaking her head as she placed her hand over the bell. “Cory! Once is enough.” She was dressed as if she were a wealthy woman from a century earlier, wearing a ruffled pink and white dress, with a full skirt. “Jethro Gibbs! It is mighty good to see you again.”

“You, too, Molly. Your dad dragged my father off for a drink. This is Tony.”

Her smile faded and her brows furrowed as she reviewed their reservation. “We only had you down for two people.”

“Dad invited him, last-minute,” Gibbs said in a way of explanation. “I hope it’s not a problem.”

“No, not at all. It’s just that we’re fully booked.”

“He can stay in my room.”

“Well, it’s just that the rooms we have reserved for you have only one bed in each. I’m afraid all of the rollaway beds are in use.” 

Tony chuckled. “No room at the inn. Perhaps you have a stable around back with a manger about my size?”

Gibbs head-slapped him. “That’s fine, Molly. He’ll stay with me. We’ll figure it out.”

She checked them in and handed Tony and Gibbs each a key to their room, and gave the key to Jackson’s room to Cory. 

The teen picked up Jackson’s bags and nodded toward the staircase. “This way. I’ll drop off your dad’s bags in his room, then will bring the key back down for him.”

Tony unlocked the door to their room, noticing there was indeed only one bed, as Gibbs followed Cory across the hall and slipped him a ten-dollar bill. 

Their room was at the back of the building, while Jackson’s room was across the hallway, facing the street. Tony had left the door ajar, so Gibbs wouldn’t have to use his key to get in.

“Dad enjoys looking out over the holiday street scenes and watching the shoppers and carolers,” said Gibbs as he set down his suitcase and go-bag. 

Tony stared out the window in their room, looking into the vast darkness. “What’s back here?”

Gibbs smiled grandly. “The black hole of your doom!”

“Come on, Boss. There can’t possibly be a black hole of doom in a charming little town like this.”

“We’re on the edge of town. The inn backs up to the family farm. We’re looking over the pasture. Jake’s got a couple nice fishing ponds, too.”

“Can you fish when it’s snowy like this?” asked Tony.

Gibbs shrugged. “Fish don’t care. It doesn’t snow underwater.”

Tony grabbed a few things, then opened the only other door he saw in the room and found it was a walk-in closet. Stepping fully inside, he pressed the back panel, but still found nothing more.

“What are you doing, DiNozzo?”

“Looking for the bathroom.”

“Down the hall.” Nodding to the corner of the room, he pointed out a small pedestal sink. “If you’re just brushing your teeth or shaving, you can use that.”

“Got it, Boss. Can we call for some extra sheets and stuff so I can crash on the floor?”

Sitting on the queen-sized bed, Gibbs took off his watch and set it on the nearest nightstand. “First, you can call me Jethro while we're here. And I’ll call you Tony.”

“Okay, Jethro.”

“Second, do you see a phone in this room?”

Tony glanced around at the nightstands and table. “No, not really. But we do have cell phones.”

“Thirdly, it’s a big bed. There’s plenty of room. That side is yours.”

Tony stared at the empty side of the bed. “Are you sure?”

Gibbs just pointed at the other side of the bed. “You sleep there.”

“I, um, normally sleep in the nude, Boss. Jethro.”

“Maybe you can leave your boxers on tonight. Special holiday tradition.”

“Yeah, okay. Right. Aren’t you going downstairs? It’s a bit early for you to turn in.”

“I’ve had a long day. We’ll do something tomorrow. You can go on down if you want to. If you do, I suggest wearing more than just your boxers.”

“Nah. I’m tired. I’m just going to turn in.”

Gibbs climbed into the bed as Tony undressed. “Good night, Tony.”

Good night, Jethro,” said Tony as he determinedly settled at the edge of the bed, facing away from Gibbs. The last thing he wanted to do was to wake up entwined with his boss.

Soon enough, Gibbs was snoring peacefully. While Tony felt exhausted, he had napped in the truck. Thoughts of accidentally touching Gibbs as they slept weighed heavily on his mind. The thought alone was exciting, although he knew he’d be so embarrassed if anything like that happened. Eventually, he dropped off to slumber once Gibbs’ snoring had quieted down.

S*E*S*A ~ S*E*S*A ~ S*E*S*A 

In the morning, they met Jackson in the dining room for a grand buffet-style Christmas breakfast and exchanged cheerful holiday greetings. After eating, they went upstairs to Jackson’s room. Tony was intrigued to see that the room had its own decorated Christmas tree and also a model train set.

“This is nice,” he said. “I’ll just be back in a minute. I want to grab the gifts I brought for you guys from the other room.”

When he returned, Tony put his gifts under the tree with the others. “These aren’t all fake presents, are they? Like, wrapped empty boxes just for show?”

“Some of them,” said Jackson. “Mostly the ones with the pretty ribbons.”

Over the next hour, the three of them chatted as they passed around their gifts, opened them and thanked their gifter. Tony gave Jackson a pair of very detailed vintage airplane ornaments for his own tree, and gifted Gibbs with two bottles of bourbon and a set of actual glasses so he could stop using mason jars for his booze.

Jackson gave Gibbs a new fishing pole, and Tony a new sweater, a warm, green pullover that complimented his eyes. Gibbs gave his father a new paintbrush set, and insulated boots and thick socks to Tony.

“Wow! If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought you had this planned,” said Tony. “I got you guys presents but had forgotten to bring them to the office. I’m glad you stopped by. Merry Christmas!”

“They have a gift shop downstairs,” Jackson confessed. “People always forget stuff when they travel, so they set the shop up. Jake opened it up last night and helped wrap the gifts.”

“I’m glad you had time to catch up with him,” said Gibbs. 

“Yeah, Jake’s great. We’re at that age where there’s not much better than sharing memories and laughter.”

“Along with a bit of alcohol.”

Jackson winked. “Sharing a drink or two never hurts.”

Gibbs patted Tony’s arm. “And no, I didn’t forget. I have another gift for you back at the house. Why don’t you put on your boots and your sweater and go fishing with me?”

“Am I supposed to jump in and catch them with my bare hands?”

“No. I brought my old rod. You can use my old one, and I’ll break in the new one.”

Tony looked over to Jackson. “You coming along, too? You shouldn’t be alone on Christmas day.”

Jackson waved him off. “Go on. I’m going to spend some time with Jake and his family. I’ll be fine inside and relaxing by the nice, warm fireplace. You guys go have fun in the snow.”

S*E*S*A ~ S*E*S*A ~ S*E*S*A 

Once they were geared up, Tony and Gibbs went outside to the truck, dusted off the snow and pulled out Gibbs’ old rod and his tackle box. The snowflakes had started drifting downward again as they trudged through the snow, across the pasture to the lake. There were a few plastic milk crates at the edge of the water. Gibbs set his tackle box onto one, then opened it and pulled out some lures.

They spent a couple of hours fishing in the lake, fortified with the bourbon Gibbs had brought along. Tony was surprised when Gibbs kept the fish they caught, rather than tossing them back into the lake. 

“I thought you were a catch and release kind of guy?”

“At my place. I’m going to give these to Jake. His lake, his fish.”

“Even though we caught them?” Tony asked.

“We’re in his pasture. If we caught his horses, does that make them ours?”

“Never thought about it that way. But horses and fish are totally different things.”

With a smile on his face, Gibbs playfully shoved Tony down into the snow.

“Really?” asked Tony as he scrambled to get his footing. Turning slightly, he put together a quick snowball and whizzed it at Gibbs’ chest. “Bullseye!”

Setting down the fish and his fishing gear, Gibbs packed together his own snowball and hurled it at Tony.

The pair threw snowballs at each other until they grew tired and Gibbs ran full-on at Tony and tackled him to the ground, pushing him down into the snow. They both continued playing in the snow, laughing and wrestling until they started feeling too cold. Tony got up first and held out his hand to help Gibbs to his feet.

Once they gathered together the fish and their gear, they returned to the inn to warm up and rest.

They found Jake in the parlor with Jackson, and handed him their fish haul. “Good fishing in your lake,” said Gibbs with a broad smile. 

“Looks like you guys had a productive morning,” Jake noted. “Thanks for bringing in the catch. Nothing better than fresh out-of-the-lake fish for dinner.”

“My pleasure,” replied Gibbs. “And thank you for allowing us to cast a line in your lake.”

“Happy to do it. Glad you had fun.”

“Is that old cabin of yours still standing?” Gibbs asked.

“Yeah, sure. You can’t get up there in a vehicle with the snowfall we've had, but I can loan you a mode of transportation that will do the trick if you want to check it out.”

“Snowmobiles?” Tony asked eagerly.

“Nope. A couple of horses and a sleigh. I’ll have Molly pack you a meal and coffee to help keep you warm. Cory can hitch up the team so you can have lunch up there if you’d like. There's plenty of chopped wood for the stove.”

“I was thinking it would be nice to spend some time up there and take Tony on a hike.”

Jake laughed heartily. “It’s a bit cold, but you’re more than welcome to go up there. Most peaceful and picturesque place around, that’s for sure, especially with all the pristine snow that fell overnight. Some would even say it's a little magical.”

“If I spot Frosty out there, we'll be coming right back,” said Tony.

S*E*S*A ~ S*E*S*A ~ S*E*S*A 

As promised, Cory had hitched up a team of horses to a sleigh and drove it through the pasture to the back of the inn. The holiday bells on the harness jingled merrily as the horses tossed their heads or moved around. “The bells keep the bears and wolves away,” Cory told them.

Tony eyed Gibbs questioningly. “Bears and wolves?”

Gibbs brushed off the comment with a wave of his hand.

Molly ran outside with a picnic basket and settled it in the back of the sleigh. 

Pulling Gibbs off to the side, she said, “I know our fathers have hinted at us getting together for years.”

“Molly…”

“Jethro, let me finish. You’re practically a big brother to me and an uncle to Cory. I just wanted to say that I’m glad to see that you’ve found someone who makes you happy. He’s quite a handsome catch to boot.”

“He?” Turning around, he looked at Tony getting settled into the front seat of the sleigh, as Cory was piling a blanket and a quilt around him. “Tony? You think Tony and I are…a couple? Molly, we just work together.”

“Really? You two certainly have a rapport as good as any happily married couple I’ve ever met. And in this business, I’ve seen plenty. At any rate, I packed you a nice lunch, with a thermos of my strongest black coffee and another one full of hazelnut flavored hot chocolate for Tony. I noticed he was rather fond of that over breakfast.”

Gibbs kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks, Molly. You’ve always been an angel.”

Taking the reins into his hands, Gibbs sent the horses into motion and Tony waved goodbye. They had both bundled up, adding knit scarves, caps and thick gloves to help keep warm.

“How far is it?” Tony asked.

“It takes a while to get there. Once we’re out of the pasture, there’s a dirt road. This property has been in Jake’s family for decades. The cabin is over a hundred and fifty years old.”

“No plumbing or electricity?”

“Nope,” Gibbs replied.

“Then you should feel right at home! Just like your little doomsday cabin.”

“It has a wood-burning stove for heat. It will take a while to warm up.”

“And why are you taking me up there? Are you trying to freeze my nuts off?” asked Tony as he buried his gloved hands under the blanket.

“I have a lot of memories there. After they came back from the war, Dad and Jake lived up there for a summer before my parents got married. When I was young, Dad would bring us here, me and Mom. We were checking into the inn one year, and there was a blizzard. It took us a while to get here and we were so happy to see the warm inn waiting for us. That same year, this young family got stuck in town when their car broke down and they didn’t have a place to stay. It was bitter cold. Dad gave them our room, and said Jake had a cabin we could use.”

“I’m guessing you’re mother wasn’t too happy.”

Shaking his head, Gibbs said, “No, she thought it was the right thing to do. They had very small children and no place to go. Jake set us up with a sleigh and a lantern. He even rode out there with us, bringing along a saddle horse to get himself home.”

“It definitely sounds like a Christmas story, no room at the inn.”

“Years later, when Shannon and I got married, this is where we spent our honeymoon.”

“Really?”

“I was broke and Shannon loved nature. It wasn’t so bad. They let us wash up at the inn any time we wanted to. That cabin holds a lot of memories for me. We even brought Kelly here a few times and stayed in the cabin. Warmer weather, of course.”

It took them about an hour to get there. The front porch had a roof that kept the woodpile mostly dry. When they went inside, Tony was happy to see another stack of chopped wood ready for the stove. Not waiting to be asked, he grabbed two pieces and stuck them inside the stove while Gibbs wadded up some newspaper and struck a match to get it all lit. Minutes later, they could already feel the heat coming from the stove. 

The cabin itself was fairly barebones. It had a table and chairs in the front room. There were two smaller bedrooms in the back, and a larger bedroom in the front of the cabin, on the opposite side from the area with the table and stove. None of the bedrooms had a door.

“There is a loft, too,” Gibbs said as he pointed up. There was a crude ladder built against the wall. “No bed up there, but I used to like going up there to read. Kelly did, too, when we brought her here.”

Tony walked around, inspecting the building. “Looks like the back to rooms were added on.”

“Yeah. All the bedrooms were added on. This was originally a one-room cabin. I guess when the builder got married, he added on a bedroom. Then as they started a family, he must have added two more rooms to the back.”

“But no doors on the bedrooms?”

“The back bedrooms have no stove, no chimney. They’d be mighty cold with a door closed. Most likely, back in the day, there would have been a blanket or sheet nailed up for a little privacy. The main bedroom shares a wall with this one, with a chimney between them. It has its own wood-burning stove to keep the bedroom warm, too.”

Tony wandered around the rooms. The larger bedroom only had one bed, while the smaller bedrooms each had two sets of bunk beds. The frames looked old and hand-made rather than store-bought, as did the table, chairs, shelves and cabinets in the front room. Some of it looked to be made from unmatched scraps of wood.

As if reading Tony’s thoughts, Gibbs said, “Back then, you used what you had, but it’s all built to last.”

While the cabin warmed up, Gibbs and Tony sat on the front porch, Gibbs with a cup of coffee and Tony with a cup of hot chocolate. 

“It’s so peaceful out here,” Tony said as sat wrapped up with a blanket to keep warm.

When they went inside and opened the picnic basket, they found plates, silverware, an uncut loaf of fresh-baked bread, thick slices of turkey and roast beef, carved from home-cooked meals. There were also homemade pickles and potato salad, slices of cheese and homemade apple pie. 

After eating the hearty lunch, Gibbs insisted they go for a hike in the snow to burn off some calories. Although Tony felt tired, he was up for the excursion. 

“Thanks for these boots and socks, Boss,” he said as they hiked through the snow. “My regular shoes wouldn’t have done much good out here. My feet would be freezing by now. How did you even think to get me boots in the city?”

“I didn’t. After you drifted off last night, I went downstairs. Jake and my dad were still up trading old war stories. I asked what we could do about gifts for you, and that’s when Jake agreed to open the shop for us.”

“Wow! I must have crashed hard because I sure don’t remember you getting up and slipping out of bed.”

“You’ve had a long week. We thought you could use some warm things to wear. Dad bought your sweater there and I bought you those hiking boots and socks. Figured you could use them in the snow.”

“Oh, nice. You really didn’t have to go to all that trouble,” Tony insisted. 

“If I hadn’t, your feet would be blocks of ice by now. I wanted you to be able to get out and enjoy yourself.”

“I am keeping plenty warm enough despite the cold and snow.”

“You’re much better equipped than the people who first homesteaded this land. And they had to go outside to care for their animals several times a day, no matter how cold or snowy it was.”

Gibbs led the way to a high point that supplied them with a great view and overlooked a river. They spotted several deer and many birds during their hike.

“This is really great, Jethro. Thank you for bringing me up here.”

“You’re welcome.”

Before leaving, Gibbs shoveled the hot embers from the stove and tossed them into the snow, making sure they were completely out before climbing back into the sleigh again.

S*E*S*A ~ S*E*S*A ~ S*E*S*A 

Tony once again huddled under the quilt and a blanket to keep warm as Gibbs drove the horses back to the inn. There they enjoyed a fine holiday feast with Jackson, Jake and his family. As dessert was served, the bell at the desk rang and Molly got up to help.

Gibbs excused himself to use the lobby bathroom, just in time to see a shivering young man standing at the front desk practically begging to stay in any space they could spare, even just the floor of the dining room or lobby. From the look of his shoes, he had trudged a long way through snow that was deeper than the shoes were designed for.

“Our car broke down a couple of miles up the road. It’s Christmas and everything is closed. I walked here, looking for a place to stay for the night. I have a wife and two young children waiting back at the car. I’m desperate,” he pleaded. 

“I’m so sorry,” Molly said. “We’ve been booked up for months for the holidays. I can call around, but unless someone canceled, I doubt there are any rooms available.”

“I can stay in the car, but my wife and children, it’s too cold for them.”

“Give them our room,” offered Gibbs. “We’ll stay up at the cabin.”

“Are you sure?” asked Molly. 

“Yeah, I’m sure.” Turning to the man, he said, “I have a pickup truck. I’ll drive you back to your car so we can get your wife, children and any luggage you need.”

The man grasped his hand, pumping in effusively. “I can’t thank you enough, sir. I’ll pay you anything.”

“No need. I’ll be happy to look at your car tomorrow. I’m sure Jake can find someone to tow it in then.”

Returning to the dining room, Gibbs told them about the man and his family and asked Jake if he and Tony could stay up at the cabin. Jake was glad to agree and sent Cory to gather some bedding together for them.

Turning to Tony, Gibbs asked, “Would you mind spending the night out there?”

Tony considered the cabin. “It will be freezing.”

“I’ll even shovel a path to the outhouse for you. Remember, that’s all they had back in the day. Besides, that young family needs a warm room more than we do.”

“I’m game,” said Tony. “If you want to stay in the cabin, I’ll give it a shot.”

“You’ll want to get going before it’s too dark to find your way,” Jake warned.

After a quick run up the stairs, they moved their things into Jackson’s room, then packed their go-bags with the essentials they would need overnight. 

Gibbs drove the man back to his car to gather up his family and luggage, then returned them to the inn, still refusing to take a dime for the room, offering it as a Christmas gift to the young family.

Cory had the sleigh packed with extra bedding and more quilts and blankets. Gibbs and Tony loaded up their packs. Jake brought out four battery-operated lanterns and hung them on hooks that were on either side of the sleigh, front and back. Molly brought out two more baskets of food, noting that there was more snow expected to come in overnight. If it got deep enough, it would be better to have food and water at the cabin, than have to fight through a blizzard to get back to the inn for a meal.

Jake glanced up at the sky. “You better get going. It’ll be too dark to find your way soon.”

“I know the way,” promised Gibbs. “And even if I didn’t, I’ll bet the horses will.”

“Good thing you were already up there once today. Just follow your tracks.”

“Thanks, Jake, we’ll be fine.”

With that said, Gibbs set the horses into motion, and Tony huddled under the extra blankets.

S*E*S*A ~ S*E*S*A ~ S*E*S*A 

Gibbs started the horses off at a brisk trot and even had them canter a bit when the ground was relatively level. The extra speed got them to the cabin before the sun set. Tony hauled in their gear and the bedding while Gibbs lit both of the stoves, the one in the main room and the one in the bedroom. Once the fires were started, he worked to bring in more chopped wood from the porch into the cabin itself, to keep it out of the snow and to make sure it was warm, dry and easier to add to the stoves as needed without having to go outside to get more each time.

Next, he brought the food baskets inside, placing them on the table in the main room, and sorted out what needed to be kept cold and what would be fine at room temperature. The stuff he wanted to chill, he took to the front of the cabin and propped open a small, horizontal wooden door that revealed a storage box built into the front porch, with an opening through the wall into the cabin. 

“It’ll get the cold from outside, but a little heat from this inside wall. It will keep things cold without allowing them to freeze,” he explained. 

“And no need to go outside to get them. Clever,” Tony said as he rubbed his hands together near the stove, hoping to warm them quickly. “What did people do for fun back in the old days other than taking care of their livestock?”

Nodding to a shelf lined with books, cards and board games, Gibbs said, “They read, played games, played music, sang, cooked and canned food. And talked.”

“We both know talking isn’t your favorite thing to do.”

Settling his hand on Tony’s shoulder, he said, “I talk…when it’s important.” Moving across the room, he picked up a deck of cards and a book and waved them toward Tony questioningly.

“It was nice what you did, giving up the room like your dad did all those years ago,” said Tony.

“You’re not mad about that, are you?”

“Not at all. You did the right thing. That family needed the room more than we did. Even if we didn’t come here, we could have crashed on the floor in your dad’s room.” Venturing over to the window, Tony looked outside. “Sure gets dark out here fast.”

Putting on his coat, and opening the door, Gibbs grabbed a blanket and said, “Come on. I want to show you something.”

Tony followed him out the door and down a path for a few yards. There was a creek back behind the cabin, beyond the outhouse. 

“It’s where they drew their water back in the day,” said Gibbs. 

Brushing some snow aside, Gibbs revealed a wooden bench overlooking the creek, then unfolded the blanket and set it on top of the seat. He motioned for Tony to sit down, then sat beside him and stared up into the sky.

“Wow!” exclaimed Tony. “Look how brilliant the stars are out here.”

“We’re a good distance away from city lights and pollution. A lot of things become clearer out here, if you’re paying attention.”

“Thanks for bringing me out here. The view is certainly worth it despite the cold.”

Gibbs dropped his eyes to the ground for a moment, then turned to look at Tony again. “Molly thought we were a couple.”

Tony turned to face Gibbs and cocked his head questioningly. “She thought what?”

“She thought we were together.”

“Why?”

Gibbs smiled and reached an arm around Tony’s shoulder. “She said we were good together.”

Nodding, Tony agreed, “She’s right there.”

“I couldn’t see it myself, not until just now, sitting here and looking up at the field of stars. I think she could be onto something.”

Looking upward, Tony stared back toward the vast night sky above them. “There are a lot of stars.”

“And yet amidst all the darkness in this world, I’ve found you,” said Gibbs as he reached for Tony’s cheek and turned his head so they were looking into each other’s eyes. “You are my star, my guiding light. Turn around, bright eyes. Open your eyes and see what is right in front of you.”

Tony did his best to grasp Gibbs’ hand with the thick gloves they were wearing. “My eyes are open, and I like what I see,” he said as he leaned in for a kiss.

12/15/2020  
© 2020 by Jacie

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas! 😊


End file.
